Captain William Rockington
, Essex, England |death_date = 22nd July, 1631 |death_place = , Middlesex, England |resting_place = , Basing, Hampshire, England |education = St Anthony's School, Threadneedle Street , London Magdalene College, Cambridge.|occupation = Merchant, Explorer |spouse = Miora Rockington|children = James Tsori Rockington Henry Mamy Rockington |father = Edmund Rockington (1533-1577) |mother = Anne Rockington (nee Smythe) (1536-29th September 1603) }} Captain William Rockington (11 May 1570 – 29 December 1621), was an English naval captain, known as the Father of The Waves. Birth and early years William Rockington was born on 11 May 1570 in Earls Colne, Essex, the youngest son of Edmund Rockington (1533-1577), and his wife Anne (1536-29 September 1603), sister of (1522 – 7 June 1591) Rockington was educated at St Anthony's School, Threadneedle Street , London, and then at . Rockington’s father, Edmund, had entered Basing House in the employ of (for whom Edmund named his son), who would become treasurer to , and , as a porter, eventually working his way up to the position of reeve. As , Winchester needed reliable men in charge of customs administration and turned to privy councillor , who was appointed general surveyor in July 1558. He was assisted by and William Byrde who would make great fortunes through taking advantage of this position. Rockington met Smythe’s sister Anne at a function at Basing House held in honour of Englefield and were married two years later in 1561. In 1563, while accompanying a collection of Winchester’s guests on a hunting trip, Edmund was badly injured, leaving him unable to continue his work as a reeve. Rockington’s parents left Basing House, moving to Earls Colne, Essex, where, on a small holding, they raised a family. After the death of his father, Rockington was brought to Basing House by the of his father’s former employer, and worked as a page from the age of seven, waiting at the Marquess’ table, tending to his clothes and assist him in dressing. Rockington was provided with a uniform of the colours and livery of the Marquess, which would serve as an influence for the first edition of the flag of The Waves, and inspired the traditional uniforms and emblem of the Presidential Guard, known informally as Paulets. The force carries Winchester’s Old French motto ‘Aymez Loyaulté’, meaning ‘Love loyalty’ – an appropriate maxim for the dedicated unit. Education and Spanish Armada Rockington attended St Anthony’s School at the behest of Winchester. Rockington served as anapprentice purser during the Spanish Armada, however soon found himself employed as a sailor on the , captained by . Rockington was present when Howard was knighted for the protection of Saint Anne against three Spanish galleasses, by William Paulet’s brother-in-law, Admiral . While most British maritime exploration was aimed at the New World, Rockington set his sights to riches of the East Indies, with a view to becoming a gentleman trader. James Lancaster sailed to East Indies 10th April 1591 but returned 24 May 1594 with only 25 men. Rockington was advised by Lancaster to complete his studies with a promise of a first-rate naval career to follow and so did not join the voyage. Rockington furthered his studies, and achieved a ABC in ABC, at Magdalene College Cambridge, where he entered as a sizar due to his academic achievements while at St. Anthony’s. Undeterred by stories of Lancaster’s treacherous last voyage, Rockington joined his next privateering expedition in October 1594, where Lancaster had learnt of Portuguese ship wrecked near Olinda. The expedition took advantage of a temporary suspension of Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373 and fought to take hold of the town of Recife in Pernambuco, Brazil, known as the Capture of Recife, aiming at seizing the cargo of a storm-damaged Portuguese carrack. The operation was highly successful and the captain and his crew gained acclaim. Rockington sailed to and spent time in the West Indies while majority returned home. Rockington joined (7 August 1574 – 6 September 1649), illegitimate son of in , Puerto Rico, before sailing to , eventually arriving back at in Cornwall, May 1595. Battle of las Palmas, unsuccessful English naval expedition in October 1595. Master's Mate on Elizabeth Bonaventure captained by John Troughton. First Voyage of the East India Company Rockington joined the English East India Company for whom his maternal cousin, (1558 – 4 September 1625) was the first governor, in Woolwich Docks, in preparation for their first voyage. Lancaster named him captain and chief-merchant of the Fortuna. The fleet departed on 13 February 1601 but due to unfavourable winds, were unable to clear the English Channel until April, before landing in the Canary Islands and heading along the African Coast, again in adverse conditions. The crew remained at Table Bay for seven weeks before rounding the south coast of Africa and landing on Madagascar Christmas Day 1601 where they were marooned for a further two months. Rockington’s ship, Fortuna, was damaged during storm soon after the fleet left Antongil Bay on 6 March 1602. The ship, along with 37 crew members, was forced to land on San Luis where they remained until the fleet returned in the summer of 1603. The fleet left pepper and spices procured in East Indies as payment for natives’ kindness and supplies. Like many of the Fortuna’s crew, Rockington fathered children while on the island – a pair of twins with a young local servant to the chief, known only as Miora before their marriage when she became Miora Rockington. Due largely to the expeditions of the English East India Company, interracial marriage was becoming more commonplace in England, as scholars, sailors and servants from the Indian subcontinent began to arrive with returning ships. Although perfectly legal, several of his peers in England took a dim view of Rockington’s marriage to Miora, however, many contemporaries saw the relationship as a signal of England’s expansion into the East Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the East Indies. In The Waves, Miora was now a shining light for the progressive evolution of the islands. Return to London Rockington’s sons, James Tsori Rockington and Henry Mamy Rockington, along with their mother, were brought to and educated in England. The boys would return to the islands as young men and jointly became the first mayors of Rockington, named for their father. A few crew members remained on the island as it was thought they would not survive the journey. These men established a well-supplied stoppage point for future English voyages to the East Indies, helping to ensure maintenance of the factories located in the region. Expansion of the East India Company During the first years of the 17 century, Rockington helped Sir Thomas Roe to establish a strong relationship with the moderate Mughal Emperor Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim, known by his imperial name, Jahangir, who welcomed trade with Europe with open arms. Jahangir offered Rockington his daughter, Princess Nithar Begum, as a wife – the first time a Mughal princess had been betrothed to a non-Muslim – but Rockington declined in respect for his wife, Miora. Rockington’s rapport with Jahangir was instrumental in gaining a foothold in India for the English East India Company with the Mughal Emperor granting the rights to establish a factory in Masulipatnam on the Eastern coast of India in 1611 and in Surat in 1612. These initial advances were essential to Britain’s future expansion and eventual colonisation of India, particularly in gaining land and encroaching on the Portuguese-held land that was ultimately ceded as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, who married Charles II in 1661. Over the following two centuries, the East India Company would progress to eventually rule the entirety of India. Marriage and family Later life and death Rockington returned to the islands many times during his explorations of the Indian Ocean. Captain William Rockington died on 22 July, 1631, in Mayfair, Middlesex. He was buried at St. Mary's Church, Basing, Hampshire.